The Inuyama Castle keep has been verified as the oldest in Japan, according to an announcement by the Inuyama board of education.
The keep is a designated national treasure located in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture. According to the board's announcement on Monday, researchers have confirmed that it was constructed between 1585 and 1590, after the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute in 1584 and during the reign of Oda Nobukatsu, the second son of warlord Oda Nobunaga.
The approximate date of construction was determined by measuring the rings in wooden materials used in the keep.
The Inuyama Castle keep was built in the oldest style among the 12 surviving keeps in Japan. However, some documents say it was constructed after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. The education board claims that the latest measurements provide scientific evidence that it actually is the oldest of the 12.
The measurements were made by Kazuyoshi Fumoto, a professor of architectural history at the Nagoya Institute of Technology, and Takumi Mitsutani, a visiting researcher in dendrochronology at the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
The examination of 39 components, including pillars and beams, found that a pillar on the first floor was cut down in 1585 and a floor beam on the north side of the fourth floor in 1588. It was also discovered that other parts appeared to have been cut down during the Tensho period (1573-92).
Based on the felling dates, Fumoto and Mitsutani concluded that the keep was built in stages during the Tensho period.
Fumoto said: "Once again, it's become clear that this is the oldest surviving keep. From the signs of the work done on different sections, there is no doubt that it was built in stages."
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